Whilst we are not the only supplier of piñatas in
Did you know?
a) That it could take up to forty five minutes for the kids to smash a piñata? Basically, the kids are blindfolded, guided to the hanging piñata, given a piñata buster, and given one turn to strike. If, after being struck, the piñata stands, the blindfold and buster is handed to the next child. This is repeated until the piñata breaks open and the contents (more than often sweets) fall to the ground. The scramble for the sweets is truly something to behold, and to capture on film.
b) That one should have one piñata for every eight children?
c) That piñatas come in all shapes and sizes and for boys and girls?
d) That piñatas were thought to have originated in Mexico? (They actually originated in Italy, way back in the sixteenth century).
e) That pinatas were originally called pignattas and, instead of being filled with sweets and candies (as is the norm today) were filled with trinkets and jewellery? In the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries, pignattas were essentially pots which were hung from a long length of rope. The rope was swung back and forth and blindfolded guests were invited to "Break the pignatta" by striking it with a stick. Once the broken pot had fallen to the ground, everyone would rush out to claim their share of the contents. The concept of "Breaking the pignatta" (popular as it was) soon spread to Spain, and thereafter to the Americas where the Spanish conquistadors refined the pot and inserted the Spanish influence. Today, pignattas are called piñatas.
f) That piñatas are typically 70cms in length? They normally have a hole in the top through which they are filled with sweets and candies.
